|Towards the Endgame|

•Chapter 150• The Endgame

A/n: Small note before the chapter starts, I had Eminem's Cinderella Man on repeat whilst writing this chapter. I think it fits really well with the vibe from start to finish. I like to think of that as the alternate chapter title, haha. Maybe give it a listen whilst reading, if you want, of course! Also, this is, I think, the longest chapter of the entire book! Enjoy!
-Jay25211🤗💜

He was handed the tiniest babe wrapped up tightly in a blanket. She had been cleaned of all the blood and whatever else stuck to her skin. A soft pink hat was on top of her head, fitting just perfectly – knitted by Pepper's mother. Tony lowered himself into the chair beside Pepper's bed. She was fast asleep, exhausted, completely knocked out. The baby hadn't cried much, only when she was born and pulled into the cold world. She was at peace with her father – something he had spent nights thinking about, staring up at the ceiling. He worried for the day his child came to this world.
Nobody could know. He did not want that life for her. This little life was in his hands now. He had not discussed this with his girlfriend yet, but he didn't need to. This baby wouldn't grow up in the spotlight. Not like he did. She would be happy and not have any trouble in the world. That is what he knows, what he promises.
She was here. After all that time, she's finally here. And she has already claimed the entire world. Her eyes were barely open, but he could see that curiosity. Eager to learn. She was happy. Not stirring, not fussing, not gurgling. Tony could have sworn she smiled earlier. Is that even possible this early on? His child. Who would have thought Tony Stark would have a child? No. Who would have thought Tony Stark could be a father?

For the briefest moment, she wondered if she was even awake or not. All that was around her was black. An infinite void – so it seemed. Not one flicker of light, not near her, not in the far distance; however far that may be. The last thing she remembers is seeing Adrian Toomes and feeling a strong grasp from behind. Then something sharp in her neck, and then black. It was all just as it was right now. Darkness with nothing in it. Was she dead? Is this what happens when you've taken your last breath? Her father must've seen this. Natasha and May, too. So many others she doesn't even want to think about. All those people have been through this darkness before, and now she is here, too. She imagined it would have been different. She thought of a field like where the battle with Thanos took place. All that rubble and dirt and the smell. Still all so fresh in her mind, that is what she imagined it'd be like. This was more like the end of a movie when the screen turns off, or at the end of a book when you stop playing the story in your mind.
If she were really gone, then she died like her best friend did. Alone. Only Nat made a heroic sacrifice – Y/n did not. She died for her sins, in a way. Not very heroic.

"What are you thinking about?" That voice came from somewhere behind her. In the void. Right then, she realized that her head was tilted back, and her neck hurt. Her eyes had been shut, too, and she had not yet found the energy to open them until now. The room was still dimly lit, but at least she could see something. Beck was there. He walked out in front of her very slowly with his arms crossed against his chest. "Oh, so there is someone here. I am a cockroach after all." Y/n let out a small chuckle. The memory of what happened came back to her, and what that meant. "I should have expected you to pull off another trick like that. Of course, you would do something." She said to the man once he was in sight. She licked her lips. Beck shrugged his shoulders, and his eyebrows raised like there was nothing unusual going on. Perhaps to him, there wasn't. This was just business in his eyes. He is that kind of man, after all. "Maybe you're not as smart as you claim to be." He replied. A small twinkle in his eyes; surprised might be the best word for it. Or was it pride? But what for? "You really couldn't see through it?" He asked her, quieter. No doubt because he did not want his partner to hear whatever he had to say.
She could have lied to see what happens. But after thinking she was dead earlier – she had already started to mourn herself – that seemed like a waste of time. "I really want to say I did to get a rise out of you. But no. I didn't. And I really hoped you would've been more honest with me this time, Beck." She told him truthfully. It was her fault for trusting a villain. Peter thought it, too, and he is probably beating himself black and blue over this. Y/n is not a fool. They have told Peter about this.